While I agree with most of what you have said. I also found the zed hard to use. I don't think there is much more challenging country to swing a detector than up here.Horses for courses Dave.
Some can't swing the GPZ for long periods & want something lighter with a bit more boogey than a SDC gives.
The GPZ can be a cumbersome bit of kit in some eastern state areas too. Being trussed up in harnesses with guide arms etc. isn't my idea of fun on the side of a gold bearing hill.
For my areas the 6000 has been great, I wouldn't swap it for a GPZ here, even if it can be a bit cantankerous at times.
I liken it to driving a sports car. To get the best out of it you've gotta stay on the controls & know when to back off on the throttle.
I ended up buying a combat vest, with pouches everywhere on it, I feel like a cross between of inspector gadget and Rambo when I wear it, however, when it's done up, and I use the buggy on it, It's just as easy to swing as the 6000, no joke.
Before I got the vest, I had terrible tennis elbow, or zed elbow, now it's as easy as. In fact, if I put the 14" on the 6K, the 6K wears me out faster!
No, I don't use a hipstick, or other device, just the vest and a D ring. The vest also has a 3 Lt camel back, pocket for the wm12, UHF, another water bottle, smokes, gps, phone, and whatever else I want to carry, including my pick, which slides down under the arm. It's easy to forget I'm carrying the pick, so I constantly check to see if it's there. The vest distributes weight so well.
As for performance, yep the 6 finds really small gold, and it's easiest detector to use for sure. But at that price, I think a zed is much better value. I still find tiddlers with the zed. The 6k is terribly effected by EMI here. Early morning sunrise and sunset, it's almost unusable. And even on hot ground it squawks and carries on all day. I am trying to like it as much as my zed, I had visions of the zed gathering dust.....but no longer.
Also, the battery recharge seems to take forever. I even got a 2nd battery for the 6 because of that. I actually thought about selling the 6, but think I'll keep it and keep trying, maybe later in the dry, it will settle down. I know a lot of people up here are finding good gold with the 6, both small gold and some very very impressive nuggets as well.
